The History Of The Golf Club

I imagine Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon, and Bobby Jones striking these clubs to perfection, and I can’t help but wonder how today’s players would fair with the old hickory sticks. I saw this list of old club names on a course today, and felt compelled to share. My ignorance knows no bounds, I was unaware golf clubs had names, always just thought they were given a number.

Woods:

#1 Driver

#2 Brassie

#3 Spoon

#4 Cleek

#5 Baffy

#6 Trouble Wood

#7 Scrapper

Irons:

#1 Driving Iron

#2 Cleek/Mid-Iron

#3 Mid-Mashie

#4 Jigger/Mashie Iron

#5 Mashie

#6 Spade-Mashie

#7 Mashie/Niblick

#8 Pitching Niblick

#9 Niblick

Wedge Lofter

Putter Flat Stick

I do in fact own three hickory sticks personally, including a flat stick. I’ve always been tempted to hit them, but I fear for the result. Not for the fact that they could shatter in half, but for how poorly I would hit them. The game has changed, for the better I might add, but it’s always good to know where my favorite sport came from.